The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1887-02-02
4 GIGANTIC NEWSPAPERS HOAX.
Tho Famous ..aroon story, which Ar
neared In The Ne,x York gun Il, 4 aar.


Tho Famous '.arooE story which Ap-
peared In The New York Sun In 1895.
The moon story, which appeared in the
fall of 1885 In the columns of The New
York Sun, was the most gigantic news
paper hoax ever perpetrated. 1t was
known that Sir John Herschel had gone
to the Cape of Good Hope to make OBJ
servations with new instruments of ex-
traordinary power. Then there appeared
. series of papers describing what Sir
John had discovered. They purported to
be copied from the pages of a supplement-
to The Edinburgh Cscotland) Journal of
Science, exclusive copies of which had
been received at The Sun office.
1t was known that the atmosphere of
the Cape of Good Hope is unequaled for
purity, and of course has corresponding
facility of celestial observation, and when
it was stated, what nobody among us
could undertake TO deny, especially as it
was said to be confirmed by actual obser-
walton, that the great object glass of the
astronomers chief telescope was a lens
of seven tons weight, no great wonder
was felt Il the results from its use were
unexampled. It was said, then, In the
alleged report of the ttgreat discoveries,
that so great was the magnifying power
Of this instrument (42, 900 times) that it
could impart to objects at the distance of
the moon degree of visibility equal to
that enjoyed by objects on our earth not
more than 100 yards off. This put it
within Sir Johns power to view, not only
the larger class of natural objects IN the
moon, but to see with ease the dwellings,,
animals, and even persons of the Llmari-
ans, which he accordingly described.
\ r I'll
believed. There WINS so much verisimili-
tude, such shrewd and apparently accu-
rate scientific phraseology, that scientists
found it no easy task why they should
not give the story credence. But when
there came descriptions of the web wings
appended to the favorite inhabitants of
our satellite, constituting them IN appear
ance sort of man bat, strong skepticism
of the whole story was manifested. Edgar
Allan Poe. the poet, speaking of the inn
mense success of the f'moon hoax, states
t4t1at not one person in ten discredited it,
and (strangest point of ALL the doubters
were chiefly those who doubted without
being able to say why-the ignorant,
those uniformed in astronomy. people
who would not believe because the thing
was so novel. so entirely tout of the usual
way A grave professor of mathematics
in Virginia college told me seriously
that he had no doubt of the truth of the
whole AFFAIR." The hoax was circulated
to an immense extent, was translated
into various languages, and was, upon
the whole, decidedly the greatest hit in
the way of sensation, of merely popular
sensation, ever made by any similar tic-
ton either in America or Europe"
The skcptics thought that they would
discover the truth or fiction of the mys-
FERROUS story by the effect it would pro-
duce in Europe, but the event was at first
by no means so distinct for them or so I'M
favorable to the credit of the story as
might have been supposed. 1t was read
all over Europe with as keen an interest
as It had been here, and was made the
subject of certain kind of discussion,
even in the French Academy of Science.
when the great Arago at length took it
upon himself, chiefly. as he said, out of
respect to name and honor of his friend,
Herschel, to put an extingIlisher upon
It. Herschel himself was first made ac-
quainted with the liberty that had been
taken with his name by its being sent him
among bundle of miscellaneous New
York newspapers, obligingly furnished
him by Caleb Weeks, who had gone out
from the United States to the cape for a
lot of CRATES and other African animals
for his menagerie. Hesaw Immediately,
of course, the nature of the thing, treating
it good naturally.
James Gordon Bennett. of The New York
Herald, was the first to charge The Sun
with the fabrication of hoax. and tho
inventor of the story, who was editor of
the paper. had to be very adroit in deal
ing with the situation in such n manner
as to conduct the concentrated indigna-
ton and disappointment of the public
safely away. True or false, it wonder
fully increased the circulation of The Sun.
but Mr.. Richard Adams Locke. an Eng
lishman, who was the author of the hoax,
never wrote anything aftcrward which
created rauch sensation. It took n long
time to convince the public that it had
been deceived, and it was said that some
spinsters at Springfield, Mass. took the
story in such good earnest that they COM
menced establishing missionary society
for the conversion of the Lunarians.-
Ben: Perley Poore in Boston Budget.